Overflow type filling machine with container top positioning guide



J. M CAUGHEY OVERFLOW TYPE FILLING MACHINE WITH. CONTAINER TOP POSITIONING GUIDE Filed June 16, 1948 Jan. 16, 1951 Jan- 16, 1951 J. M CAUGHEY 2,538,208

OVERFLOW TYPE FILL NG MACHINE WITH CONTAINER TOP POSITIONING GUIDE Filed June 16, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Brenfar- Jsephflau figq Jffo 172%.

Jan. 16, 1951 J..M CAUGHEY OVERFLOW TYPE FILLING MACHINE WITH CONTAINER TOP POSITIONING GUIDE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June l6, 1948 'Jf/o r7753.

Patented Jan. 16, 1951 UNITED STATES OFFICE.

OVERFIJOW TYPE" FILLING MACHINE WITH CONTAINER TOP POSITION'ING GUIDE Joseph McCaughey,. Philadelphiaia assignor to- Abbotts Dairies, Incorporated, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application June 16, 1948, SerialNo. 33,269

9 Claims. (01. 226mm) The object of the invention is to provide improvements in filling devices. broadly, but particularly in mechanisms for filling containers with ice cream and similar viscous substances, or normally more solid substances while in temporarily viscous form. The term viscous as herein used is intended to include substances that are not sufficiently liquid to flow by gravity, such as semi-solid ice cream, mayonnaise, shaving creams and. the like that are adapted to be packaged in jars r cans.

In the ice cream industry there is a rapidly accelerating tendency towards marketing the product in bulk. or semi-bulk quantities, as for example in gallon, and half-gallon as well as single-quart portions, though it is to be borne in mind that the improved mechanism is not limited to any particular size, quantity, or any range thereof. Furthermore, it is to be understood that the terms cans, can-filling machines, and similar expressions are intended to apply to cardboard and heavy paper containers as well as to metallic containers such as customarily go by the term cans. Also, the inventionv can. be applied to the packaging of butter, certain cheeses, mayonnaise and similar articles that are either viscous by naturaor. can be made so tem-, porarily in order to aid. inpackaging them, after which they are hardened by chilling or setting.

Another object is tov provide meansv for automatically positioning the cans, and simultaneously maintaining. their peripheries in circular or other predetermined shape whil'ebeing filled, and at the same time shifting them axially into a position abutting against a filling surface through which both a filling and an overflow aperture extend, so that complete filling can be assured by forcing through the filling aperture more than the capacity of a particular can so that excess exits through the overflow aperture, and the filling surface serves: to wipe the contents flush with the opening in the can.

A further object is to provide in such a machine means to automatically shift the cans towards and away from the surface of the filling head for apredetermined distance in their path of movement, so that the substance with which they are being filled can: enter the cans through the filling aperture until the substance reaches said surface. as the. can becomes exactly filled to the plane of itsupper open end, after which excess of the-substance flows reversely through said surface byway of the overflow aperture, and the can-passes: on to aposition where it is withdrawn from said surface and discharged from the machine.

Still another object is to provide a machine of this character in: which: all of those parts, that are in any way contacted by the ice cream or other substance during the filling operation, are readily removable from the machine for thorough cleansing after each. operation, in order to thereby prevent contamination as by mold, bacterial and/or other action that would be detrimental to maintenance of the high degree of purity that must characterize edible products in particular.

With the foregoing and other objects in mind, the invention comprises further details of construction and operation, which are hereinafter fully brought out in the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine comprising one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the upper portion of the same with a plurality of cans as they pass beneath the filling head; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan of the can-elevating mechanism in association with conveyor means for de livering empty cans thereto; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view partly in section showing the progress of an empty can from the feedconveyor'to and for a short distance" after arriving upon one of the" can-elevating tables; Fig. 5 is a. fragmentary side elevation showing a series of three cans in as many relatively elevated positions upon their respective supporting tables; Fig. 6 is likewise'a fragmentary view partly in section and showing two adjacent cans beneath and in frictional engagementwith the under surface of the apertured filling head; and Fig. '7 is a side elevation of one of the" can-elevating tables with a portion of its side cut away to show a spring therein by which said table is yieldingly held against the unde side of the filling head.

. Referring to the drawings, a representative form of frame is shown as comprising a plurality of upright members I, that are spaced circumferentially about the periphery of a generally circular connecting member 2 while the lower portions of said upright members are intercon nected by means of braces 3. Substantially centrallyof sai'd frameis a verticallypositioned shaft :3, whose lower bearing is operatively' positioned by one or more transverse braces 5 that fixedly position said bearing with said upright members and said members with one another.

The'upper end of said shaft carries a rotatable plate 61 that is provided with a series of apertures 1', that are of the same diameter as thatof the cans Ia to be filled, each of said apertures being surrounded upon its under side by a depending ring or flange 8 having an upwardly tapering inner conical surface 9, that simultaneously gives to the upper end of the can a predetermined usually circular shape and guides it into an aperture in said disc, so that said can end abuts directly against the under surface of a normally fixed filling plate 9a. This filling plate covers only a fractional part of the plate 6, is provided with an aperture through which rotatably extends the upper terminal portion I of said shaft, and is normally secured in horizontally fixed operative position by means of two or more clamps II by which said plate is secured directly to the upper frame member 2, the center of said plate being prevented from rising with respect to said disc by means of a cotter pin I2 that passes through said shaft while the radially outer portion of said plate 9a is yieldingly maintained against plate 6 by a spring IIa beneath each of said clamps II. Each of the flanges 8 is cut away upon one side to permit the upper edge portion of an empty can to be moved transversely into filling position, and thereafter elevated into contact with the under surface of the filling plate 9a with less vertical movement than would be necessary Were said flanges circumferentially continuous.

Said plate 9a is provided with a filling aperture I3 and with an overflow aperture I4, these said apertures being spaced apart no more than sufiicient to make the distance between their opposite sides slightly less than the diameter of a can when in position for filling, the distance between their opposite sides comprising their combined diameters plus the space between them. By this arrangement as ice cream or other viscous substance flows under pressure through the filling aperture I3 from any suitable source to which it is connected by means of an integral bushing I5, a pipe I5a and a detachable coupling I6, and thence into a can until the latter is completely filled to the level of the under surface of said filling plate, surplus of such substance emerging from the can through the overflow aperture I4, as the can continues its uninterrupted circular movement about the axis of said shaft, said overflow aperture being provided with an integral bushing H, which is connected by a coupling Ila to a discharge pipe I8. But little of the substance with which the cans are being filled need pass through the overflow aperture I4 and discharge pipe I8, but by definitely causing at least a small quantity to thus overflow, the uniformly complete filling of the cans is assured. The rate of fiow of the filler substance is determined by the product, the capacity of the cans, the speed of the rotatable disc and the proportion or percentage of the substance that is desired to overflow in order to positively assure complete filling of the cans, it being understood that such overflow is not lost, but may be returned to the supply line periodically or continuously, since it is maintained pure and sterile at all times.

Also carried rotatably by said shaft below said plate 6 is a second plate I9 having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures 20, through which slidably extend vertically reciprocable rods 2I, enlarged at their upper ends and carrying elevatable tables 22, which receive, support and elevate the cans into and thereafter from their uppermost filling positions hereinbefore described, These rods 2I are maintained in their upright parallel positions by means of bearing blocks 23 secured to the under side of said lastmentioned plate I9, below which the lower ends of said table-supporting rods project into slidable engagement with a fixedly positioned cam 24. The lower portions 24a of said cam (Fig. 5) permit the tables to descend to their can-receiving and discharging positions, while the upper portion 24b of said cam operates to raise said tables and the cans carried thereby into the filling position hereinbefore referred to. However, instead of providing a definite and unyielding amplitude of reciprocatory movement for the cans, in which case a can of slightly unusual length might jam against the under side of the filling plate, each of said table-supporting rods is provided internally with a compressible coil spring 25 that permits its individual rod to yield sufiiciently to accommodate its particular table to any unusual condition, such for example as an exceptionally high can, a possible though not probable clogged overflow channel, or other unpredictable contingency.

For automatically supplying fresh empty cans to the tables, any suitable conveyor means may be employed. In this instance, and purely for purposes of illustration, empty cans are placed in a continuous line in a trough defined by a bottom 26 and side walls 21, between which latter an endless chain or belt, or plurality of belts, 28 move along the surface of said bottom wall. Such chain or belt passes over pulleys at the opposite ends of said trough, though only one such pulley 29 is shown at the discharge end of said trough. This is the driving pulley which causes the belt to move and thereby the empty cans, and as each can is about to leave the impelling influence of said belt it is engaged, and gives an additional impulse by a friction wheel 30, that is mounted upon a vertical axis in a position at the junction of the feed trough with a guide band or guard 3 I this guard being removed from Fig. 1.

As the elevatable tables pass said trough, they are in their lowered position so as to receive an empty can upon each of them, said can in each instance being arrested in its movement from said conveyor and positioned centrally upon its respective table by means of properly spaced upright pins 32 carried by the rotatable plate I9. Shortly thereafter a this plate continues its rotation, the tables and the cans carried thereby are lifted in sequence into operative position within the confines of the guide and shaping rings 8, and directly against the under surface of the filling plate 3a, where shortly thereafter each can receives its portion of ice cream or other substance, as hereinbefore described.

For operating the device and its several functional elements, an electric motor 32, carried by a bracket 33 that is adjustably positioned with respect to the machine frame by meansv of a suitable screw 34, drives a reduction gear 35 through a belt 36 and pulley 31, while a sprocket chain 38 connects a small pinion 39 with a much larger sprocket wheel 40 secured to said shaft 4.

Said reduction gear also drives a pulley 4| through a belt 42 by which the conveyor is actuated, while elevation and depression of the can-supporting tables are effected by engagement of the table rods 2I with the cam 24 as heretofore described. For convenience said motors operation may be controlled by means of a suitable switch 43, from which lead wires 44 to any suitable source of electric current. .A tray 45 is preferably though not necessarily proaaeegeos :rvided for catching any of the substance that may escape from the cams during the filling op- "eration, and this may obviously be of any desired shape and arrangement.

- 'Having thus described my invention, what I claimand desire to protect by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. A filling machine for cans, comprising a horizontally fixedremovable plate provided with a -=pa1r of spaced filling and overflow apertures, "the opposite sides of which are spaced apart a less overall distance than the width ofthe c'ans opening, with a conduit to conduct a viscous substance to the filling aperture, and a hollow member adapted to receiveexcess substance from the -'o verflowaperture, a second plate movable with 'respectto and in slidable contact with said first plate andprovided'with an aperture, positioning means movable with said'second plate to align the open end of the can with said last-men'- tioned aperture, reciprocatable means to elevate a can towards said last aperture, and driving means to move continuously said second plate "and said reciprocating means in synchronism the overflow aperture, a second plate movable with respect to and in slidable contact with said first plate and provided with an aperture, positioning means movable with said second plate to align the open end of the can with said lastmentioned aperture, reciprocatable means to elevate a can towards said last aperture, and driving means to move continuously said second plate and said reciprocating means in synchronism therewith, said aligning means having a circular orifice defined by a conical surface operative to give circular shape to the open end of a distorted flexible can and simultaneously guide its open end into concentricity with said last-mentioned aperture.

3. A filling machine for cans, comprising a relatively fixed plate provided with a pair of spaced filling and overflow apertures, with a conduit to conduct a viscous substance to the filling aperture and a hollow member adapted to receive excess substance from the overflow aperture, a relatively movable second plate in slidable engagement with the under surface of said first plate and provided with an orifice of substantially the same diameter as that of the cans, a circular ring secured to the under side of said second plate having a conical inner surface operative to give circular shape to the open end of a distorted flexible can and simultaneously guide its open end into concentric registry with said orifice, reciprocatable means to elevate a can to said orifice, and driving means to move said second plate continuously with respect to said first plate and to actuate said elevating means in synchronism therewith.

4. A filling machine for cans, comprising a frame, a detachable plate carried thereby and provided with a filling aperture and overflow aperture spaced from said filling aperture, a shaft, a rotary plate carried by said shaft and provided with orifices corresponding substantially with the diameter of cans to be filled, a

ring surrounding the under edge of'each of said orifices and having an upwardly contractinginner conical surface operative to give circular shape to the open end of a distorted flexible can and simultaneously guide the can into tight registry with one of said orifices, a portion of said ring being partially cut away to permit a can to enter transversely into coaxial alignment with said orifice, conveyor means topropel cans towards said guide rings as said disc rotates-"elevating tables to raise the cans in sequence na said rings, and driving means to actuate said conveyor, said shaft and said elevating means in synchronism, and resilient means to yieldin'gly maintain said plate in slidable engagement with said disc. 'i

5. A filling machine for cans havingopenupper ends, comprising a supporting frame, a removable plate fixedto said frame and having a filling aperture and an overflow aperture spaced from said filling aperture, a hollow member communieating with said overflow aperture, a second plate movable in relation to said removable plateand provided with an orifice of substantially the same diameter as that of the open end of the cans, a ring closely surrounding the under edge of said orifice and having an inner conical surface operative to give circular shape to the open end of a distorted flexible can and simultaneously guide its open end into concentric registry with said orifice, a cam also carried by said frame, recipror catable tables in engagement with said' cam and operative when moved thereby to elevate a can to said orifice, a shaft rotatably mounted on said frame, and associated with said second plate, and driving means to rotate said shaft and said second plate continuously and also reciprocate said tables in synchronism in relation, to the filling and overflow apertures of said removable plate.

6. A filling machine for cans, comprising a frame, a detachable plate carried thereby and provided with a filling aperture and an overflow aperture spaced from said filling aperture, a shaft, a rotary plate carried by said shaft and movable in relation to said detachable plate, said rotary plate being provided with orifices corresponding substantially with the diameter of cans to be filled, a ring surrounding the under edge of each of said orifices and having an upwardly contracting inner conical surface operative to give circular shape to the open end of a distorted flexible can and simultaneously guide the can into tight registry with one of said orifices, a portion of said ring being partially cut away to permit a can to enter transversely into coaxial alignment with said orifice, conveyor means to propel cans towards said guide rings during rotation of said rotary plate, elevating tables to raise the cans in sequence into said rings, and driving means to actuate said conveyor, rotary plate and elevating means continuously in synchronism and in relation to the filling and overflow apertures of the detachable plate.

7. A filling machine for cans, comprising a frame, a detachable plate carried thereby and provided with a filling aperture and an overflow apertiu'e spaced from said filling aperture, a shaft, a rotary plate carried by said shaft and being movable in relation to said detachable plate, said rotary plate being provided with orifices corresponding substantially with the diameter of cans to be filled, the overall distance across said filling and overflow apertures and the intervening space being substantially equal to the diameter of each of said orifices and of a can when in registry therewith, a ring surrounding the under edge of each of said orifices and having an upwardly contracting inner conical surface operative to give circular shape to the open end of a distorted flexible can and simultaneously guide the can into tight registry with one of said orifices, a portion of said ring being partially cut away to permit a can to enter transversely into coaxial alignment with said orifice, conveyor means to propel cans towards said guide rings as said latter plate rotates, elevating tables to raise the cans in sequence into said rings, and driving means to actuate said conveyor, shaft, rotary plate and elevating means in relation to the filling and overflow apertures of said detachable plate.

8. A filling machine for cans, comprising a horizontally fixed plate provided with a pair of filling and overflow apertures spaced apart a less overall distance than the width of the cans opening, with a conduit to conduct a viscous substance to the filling aperture, and a hollow member adapted to receive excess substance from the overflow aperture, a second plate movable with respect to and in slidable contact with said fixed plate and provided with apertures, positioning means movable with said second plate to align the open end of the can with said first mentioned apertures, reciprocable means to elevate a can towards said last mentioned apertures, and driving means to move said second plate and said reciprocating means continuously in synchronism, and independently functioning springs operative to yieldingly maintain the periphery of said first mentioned plate in its normal lower position in contact with said second plate.

9. A filling machine for cans, comprising a frame, a detachable plate carried thereby and provided with a filling aperture and an overflow aperture spaced from said filling aperture, a shaft, a rotary plate carried by said shaft and movable in relation to said detachable plate, said rotary plate being provided with orifices corresponding substantially with the diameter of cans to be filled, a ring surrounding the under edge of each of said orifices and having an upwardly contracting inner conical surface operative to give circular shape to the open end of a distorted flexible can and simultaneously guide the can into tight registry with one of said orifices, a portion of said ring being partially cut away to permit a can to enter transversely into coaxial alignment with said orifice, a conveyor means to propel cans toward said guide rings as said rotary plate rotates, elevating tables to raise the cans in sequence into said rings, resilient means to yieldingly elevate said tables, and driving means to actuate said conveyor, shaft, rotary plate, and elevating means in synchronism and in relation to the filling and overflow apertures of said detachable plate.

JOSEPH McCAUGI-IEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,397,520 Howe Nov. 22, 1921 2,229,476 Reichle Jan. 21, 1941 2,302,693 Hoar Nov. 24, 1942 

